Northern Kentucky Sports Chronicle

(Article from The Kentucky Post that ran on March 10, 2005) HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Northern Kentucky University is wasting no time studying whether to upgrade from NCAA Division II athletics to Division I. Just one day after the General Assembly approved $54 million for a special events center at NKU, university administrators on Wednesday briefed the school's board of regents about a study to evaluate the pros and cons of going to Division I or staying in Division II. School officials said they plan to have a recommendation ready for regents to vote on later this year. "The Board of Regents is very interested in this," NKU President Dr. James Votruba said. Jumping to Division I — the top level of college athletic competition — wouldn't have been even considered without a bigger basketball arena than the current 2,000-seat Regents Hall, NKU officials said. On Tuesday, the 2005 General Assembly authorized construction of The Bank of Kentucky Center on NKU's Highla...

Down 15 at halftime, Norse awake in final 20 minutes to win NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region championship NKU players celebrate after defeating Quincy in the 2003 Great Lakes Region championship game. (Story from March 17, 2003) Special to The Post INDIANAPOLIS — From every conceivable angle, they were gone. Not just simply beaten, but flat-out overwhelmed. It was halftime of Monday night’s NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region championship game, and Quincy University owned a 36-21 lead over Northern Kentucky University. The Lady Hawks had held the Norse to just 29.6 percent shooting from the field, won the rebounding battle by a whopping 28-13 margin and were preparing to make reservations for the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, a prize that awaited the winner of Monday’s contest. The Norse — playing without powerful inside presence Sharell Snardon, who was out with an injury — appeared to be 20 minutes away from calling it a season. Instead, they awoke. Maybe it’s the mammoth traditio...